Castello di Vicarello

Castello di Vicarello: A Wedding in a Maremma Castle, the Wilder Side of Tuscany

There is a Tuscany that doesn't make the postcards. South of Siena, away from the Chianti coaches and the crowds of Florence, the land opens into the Maremma — wilder, emptier, scented with herbs and within reach of the sea. Castello di Vicarello stands here: a 12th-century castle on a hill of organic vineyards and centuries-old olive groves, set almost exactly midway between Rome and Florence. I'm Francesco Caroli, an Italian wedding photographer, and as a wedding photographer in Tuscany I've found that the Maremma gives a wedding something the region's famous corners can't: genuine seclusion, and a landscape that still feels untamed. For couples who want a destination wedding in Tuscany without the clichés, Vicarello is a real discovery.

What makes it feel so different is that Vicarello is not a hotel pretending to be a home — it is a home that opens its doors. Since the 1980s the Baccheschi Berti family spent eighteen years restoring this ruined castle, and they still run it themselves. Every suite and villa was designed by the family and filled with furniture, art and objects gathered on their travels around the world, so that a 12th-century Tuscan castle ends up holding treasures from everywhere. You feel it the moment you step inside: this is Tuscany seen through a family that has seen the world.

Forty Hectares of Organic Vineyards, and a Castle You Take Whole

The estate runs to forty hectares of organic vineyards and ancient olive groves, and the wines made here have won serious recognition, from Decanter to the Italian critics. But what matters most for a wedding is that Vicarello is intimate and entirely private. The castle holds ten individual suites, a two-bedroom villa and three marble pools, sleeping up to thirty guests within its walls — and for any wedding beyond a small gathering, the estate is taken on an exclusive buyout, so the whole castle, vineyards and hill are yours alone, with a minimum stay of a few nights. Additional guests are looked after at trusted venues nearby, with shuttles to bring everyone up to the celebration.

That model suits a particular kind of couple: those who would rather have a private castle for several days than a single afternoon in a shared venue. The wedding becomes a stay, not an event — and from a photographer's point of view, the days of a buyout are a gift, full of unguarded, golden-hour moments that a one-day hire never allows.

Saying "I Do" Across the Estate, or in a Maremma Church

Vicarello offers genuine flexibility for the ceremony itself. A civil ceremony can be held in various romantic spots across the estate, chosen to suit the size and style of your wedding — among the vineyards, in the gardens, with the Maremma hills falling away below. For couples who want a Catholic ceremony, the family can organise and recommend several charming churches in the surrounding area, including Santa Maria in Campagnatico, the Santuario della Madonna di Val di Prata at Monticello Amiata, and the Pieve di San Donato at Porrona. The team has more than fifteen years of experience and takes care of every detail — food, wine, music, flowers, table settings, marquees — so that the day runs without you having to manage it.

Because the estate is so self-contained, the celebration flows naturally from one part of the day to the next: a ceremony among the vines, an aperitif by one of the marble pools, dinner under the Tuscan sky, dancing on into a Maremma night with no neighbours for miles.

A Food and Wine Lover's Wedding

If there is one thing Vicarello takes as seriously as the setting, it is the table. Organic produce is grown in the estate's own kitchen gardens and turned into authentic Maremma and Tuscan dishes, paired with the award-winning wines made from the estate's organic grapes. Menus are designed around each couple, with the chef collaborating directly to build something seasonal and personal rather than a fixed package. For guests arriving early or staying on, the estate offers the full Tuscan-lifestyle repertoire: cooking lessons in the castle's rustic kitchen, private tastings in the vineyards, e-bike rides through the Maremma, and massages overlooking the vines and the medieval villages beyond. The Argentario coast and Montalcino, home of Brunello, are both close enough for a day out.

Reaching Castello di Vicarello: Notes for Couples Travelling from Abroad

Vicarello sits at Poggi del Sasso, in the comune of Cinigiano, in the province of Grosseto — the heart of the Maremma, beautifully remote but well connected. For international couples and their guests, Florence's airport is around an hour and three-quarters away by road, with Pisa a little further west and Rome's Fiumicino roughly two hours to the south, which makes the estate genuinely convenient from either direction given its position midway between the two cities. Siena is about fifty minutes away and Montalcino just thirty-five, both lovely for guests with time to explore, while the Maremma coast is around an hour off. Because the estate lies up quiet country roads, I'd encourage transfers or car hire rather than relying on public transport. For your planner and your drivers, the address is Località Vicarello 1, Poggi del Sasso, Cinigiano (Grosseto).

What Couples Ask Me Before Choosing Castello di Vicarello

How does the legal side of marrying in Italy work for a foreign couple?

A legally binding civil marriage in Italy is performed by Italian authorities, and the documents required depend on your nationality. Most couples coming from abroad need a sworn declaration of no impediment to marry — usually arranged through your own country's consulate or embassy in Italy — together with further paperwork, and it is wise to begin several months ahead. Vicarello can host the ceremony in various romantic locations across the estate and will guide you through both the civil formalities and, if you wish, a Catholic ceremony in a nearby church. My honest advice is to confirm exactly what your two passports require early, because that single detail shapes the whole timeline.

Is a private buyout required, and how many guests can attend?

For weddings and events beyond a small group — broadly, more than around twenty guests — Vicarello is taken on an exclusive estate buyout, with a minimum stay of a few nights, so that the entire castle and grounds are reserved for you. This is central to its character: it is not a venue you share, but a private castle you take whole for a few days. If you are envisioning an intimate, multi-day celebration with complete privacy, that model is ideal; if you need a very large single-day event, it is worth discussing the practicalities with the team early so expectations are clear from the outset.

Where do our guests stay, and what about larger guest lists?

The castle itself sleeps up to thirty guests across ten individual suites and a two-bedroom villa, with three marble pools among the grounds — so your closest family and friends stay within the walls. For larger numbers, the estate can arrange accommodation for many more guests at trusted venues nearby, with shuttle services to bring everyone up to the celebration. It works beautifully as a layered stay: an inner circle in the castle, the wider party close at hand, and everyone gathered for the main events.

Can we have a Catholic ceremony in a church?

Yes. While civil and symbolic ceremonies take place across the estate, the family can organise and recommend several characterful churches in the surrounding Maremma for a Catholic wedding — among them Santa Maria in Campagnatico, the Santuario della Madonna di Val di Prata at Monticello Amiata, and the Pieve di San Donato at Porrona. A Catholic ceremony carries its own documentation requirements, arranged through your home parish and diocese, so it is best to begin that conversation early; the estate's experience with international weddings makes the coordination considerably easier.

Can the estate's own food and wine be part of the celebration?

They are central to it. Vicarello grows organic produce in its own kitchen gardens and makes award-winning wines from its own organic vineyards, and the chef builds each wedding menu personally around the couple, seasonal and bespoke rather than off a set list. For couples who care as much about what is on the table and in the glass as about the setting, that genuine farm-to-table, estate-to-glass quality is a real point of difference — and a lovely thread to weave through a multi-day celebration, from a welcome dinner to the wedding feast itself.

What makes Vicarello and the Maremma special to photograph?

The Maremma has a different light and a wilder landscape than the manicured Tuscany most people picture — rolling, open, and gloriously empty, especially beautiful in the long golden hours of late spring and early autumn, the seasons I'd most recommend. At Vicarello itself, I can move from the family's globally collected interiors to the rows of organic vines, the marble pools and the open hills beyond, all on one private estate. It means a wedding album with genuine range and a strong sense of place: images that feel unmistakably of the Maremma rather than a generic idea of Tuscany.